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With more visitors than ever, the Free Library Festival was a hit last weekend! Broadway and television actress Kristin Chenoweth drew a huge crowd, and she even gave fans a special treat when she burst into song. Teens crowded Shakespeare Park to hear author John Green of Paper Towns talk about his books, his life, and his advice for nerdfighters. Our youngest Library fans joined their favorite storybook characters for a parade on Saturday, and later danced to the music of Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary. Festival visitors enjoyed dozens of other events, including visits from Dara Torres, Amiri Baraka, Joyce Carol Oates, Nation Beat, and more! And of course, First Person Arts' StorySlam competitors from Chicago and Philadelphia kept the audience entertained with tales of mortification... and Philadelphia won!

We hope everyone had a great time, and we can’t wait to see you next year!
 

A Wild Thing joins a storybook hour
A Wild Thing joins a storybook hour
Nation Beat performing on Sunday
Nation Beat performing on Sunday
storybook characters line up for the parade
storybook characters line up for the parade

Don't forget, this weekend marks the third annual Free Library Festival! We have something for everyone, with readings, performances, a literary street fair, and tasty treats! Look for our guide in today's Daily News, and stop by tomorrow and Sunday for fun, free events!

For more information on the festival, click here.

festival artwork
festival artwork
April is National Poetry Month, so stop by the Independence Foundation Poetry Corner (Room 108 of the Parkway Central Library) during the Free Library Festival this weekend and listen to readings by acclaimed poets, such as:

Raymond Luczak
Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life

Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 PM
In Assembly Required, essayist, poet, and playwright Raymond Luczak meditates on what it means to be a gay man living between the deaf and hearing worlds. More info>>

Amiri Baraka | Transbluesency
Saturday, April 18 at 4:00 PM
Transbluesency collects many of poet, playwright, and political activist Amiri Baraka's poems into a single volume, combining "the personal and political in highly charged ways" (Publishers Weekly).
More info>>

Daniel Hoffman | The Whole Nine Yards
Sunday, April 19 at 1:00 PM
Former United States Poet Laureate Daniel Hoffman recently received the Arthur Anse Prize for "a distinctive poet" from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
More info>>

Kevin Young | Dear Darkness
Sunday, April 19 at 2:00 PM
Inspired by the blues and the history of Black America, Kevin Young's poems appear in the New Yorker and the Paris Review, and Publisher's Weekly calls him "perhaps the most prominent African American poet of his generation."
More info>>

Susan Stewart | Red Rover
Sunday, April 19 at 3:00 PM
National Book Critics Circle Award-winner Susan Stewart explores the changing cycles of life in her new poetry collection, beginning with the fall of man and lofting into praise for the green and turning world.
More info>>

 

The Free Library Festival is a free, two-day event and is guaranteed to be a burst of books, music, and inspiration! For event details and programming, click here.

Raymond Luczak
Raymond Luczak
Kevin Young
Kevin Young
Susan Stewart
Susan Stewart

In just a week and a half, the third annual Free Library Festival will be taking over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Parkway Central Library for a burst of books, music, and inspiration for everyone! During the free, two-day event, the Free Library of Philadelphia will host bestselling authors and award-winning performers, as well as feature tasty treats from Stephen Starr Events, Chaddsford Winery, and Cabot Cheese. Visit the Festival’s site for details on visiting authors and performers, as well as Library tours and Festival information.

In the meantime, check out these can’t-miss author highlights:

Kristin Chenoweth | A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages
Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m.; Bank of America Main Stage

Molly O’Neill | American Food Writing: An Anthology: With Classic Recipes
Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m.; Skyline Salon

John Green | Paper Towns
Saturday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m.; Target Children's Stage

Joyce Carol Oates | Dear Husband: Stories
Saturday, April 18 at 4:00 p.m.; Bank of America Main Stage

Dara Torres | Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life
Sunday, April 19 at 1:00 p.m.; Bank of America Main Stage

Jane Hamilton | Laura Rider's Masterpiece
Sunday, April 19 at 3:00 p.m.; Bank of America Main Stage

Vicki Myron | Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Sunday, April 19, at 4:00 p.m.; Bank of America Main Stage
 

Tags: Events at the Library, Free Library Festival

2009 artwork
2009 artwork